Luminous sign character



R. SCHULZ oct. 1 3, 1925.

LUMINOUS S IGN CHRACTER Filed sept. 19. 1923 Patented Oct-13, 1925.

UNITED STATES lassenza;

PATENTOFFICE;

aleman scnULz, or nANviLnE, rumors.

LUMINoUs 'SIGN CHARACTER.

Application led September 19, 1923. Serial No. 663,887.

To all whom zi't may concern;v u .4 Be it known that I, RICHARD SCHULZ, .a citizen 'of the United States, residing `at Danville, in the'county of 'Vermilion andv State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Luminous Sign Characters, of whichl the followingis .a

specification.

The invention relates to luminous Asigns or sign characters. f One ofthe objects of the invention is to provide aI sign character which will disseminate or project by refraction a large-portion of light emanating therefrom in planes substantially parallel with or at very small angles from its face, to ren-derit conspicuously visible whenviewed' from either side.

Another object is to provide an improvedl one-piece ligure, letter or character of di' aphanous material, such as glass or the like, rendered more clearly visible in a plane parallel with its face, by virtue ofits characteristic formation.

Other objects and4 advantages will hereinafter appear from a conside-ration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein z-- Fig. 1 is a face view ofva character made l in accor-dance with my invention.

Fig. 2 .is a centralsection on line 2--2 of Figl. v l

Fig. Sis a section on lineB-FS of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5'- 5 of` Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section showing diagrammatically the rays of light cmanating therefroml by refraction when illumi- K nated by a suitable source of light.

Fig. 7 is a similar viewv showing the inner surface of the letter coated with a light absorbing self luminating material.

In all the views the same reference characters indicate similar parts.

Each character is preferably made of a single piece of Inoldable, substantially transparent material in the form .of a block or vplate 10 and having a rounding rib in cross section and, the distinguishing integral,

character, as 11, projects from the facej'of the plate and is an integral part thereof.

The outstandin part of therharacter; is

preferably somew at more than semi-circular in section, as shown to provide a round-v ing rib or bead at all of its parts toA retract'.

the light rays into planessubstantially parallel with the face of the element or character. .The rib is 'provided with an it at night.

Electric lightlamps may be placed behind the characters, -and used with the coating be self luminous in character which will absorb light during the day and radiate ig. 6, 14 is represented as a source 15 to stimulate its activity and to illuminate other portions of the characternot covered with thecoating.

Thefcoating 15 may inuwhich event it is desirable to coat the inner surface of the character, except the groove V12, with a substantially opaque or translucent coloredmaterialto block most of the light from this portion of the character and render the portion overlying vthe ygroove more conspicuous.' r

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire secure by Letters 1. A one-piecesign characterV having a flat vface 'and a 'transparent rounding rib having its longest/axis located in a plane signfelementl and an inner angular groove underlyin said rib having its apex'extending to 'sai axis to bend the light rays linto planes generally parallel with the face of the character.

`2. A si n cylindrica surface to represent a transparent sign element and an inner angular groove underl ing said surface,r the apex thereof exten surface.v` a j In testimony -whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

RICHARQ SCHULZ."

be omitted entirely, i0

"l outwardly beyond said face to represent a A.

character presenting a semilng along the -axisofsaid 

